Prelude
Before I put together this travelogue, please allow me to add some bits about why we chose this place. I would like to call myself an avid wildlife enthusiast, thanks to my friend, who introduced me to Jungle Lodges and Resorts more than a decade ago. I always had a liking for all things wild. My first visit to Kabini back then (when there was no Black Panther yet and the prices were reasonable, well thats a different story altogether) ignited something that was always within me. There has been no turning back ever since. I make it a point to visit JLRs at-least 6 times a year.
Off-late, I am noticing many new JLR properties cropping up, and rightly so given the amazing hospitality I have been getting for more than a decade now.
So one fine day, as usual as I was browsing JLRs website, I saw a pop-up mentioning a new camp site in
Gopinatham. I said to myself, "
Wait! I have heard this name before". A quick google search showed me that it was the birth place of in-famous Veerappan. Interesting! it would be well worth a visit then (
and how right was I )
Booking and Route planning
I told my wife about this new camp site that has come up in
Gopinatham by our very own Jungle Lodges, and she was immediately on-board. Yah about that, soon after marriage I introduced my wife to this amazing world of forests and wildlife(which she was unbeknown about). And thank god! she was instantly hooked to it as well. Guess what, with my first ever safari with her, in Bandipur, we saw 2 Tigers for more than 30 mins each. In previous 9 years of me visiting umpteen times to Bandipur and Kabini I had never got a chance to see the apex predator (always a glimpse of Leopards, never the Tiger). Talk about lady luck!
Okay, back to the booking part. As usual, immediately booked a tent on their site for the weekend.
About the route , google maps showed us that we have to go via Kollegal->MM hills route. Later I found out there is shorter route only after reaching there.
More about that later
Google maps showing the route via Kanakapura->Kollegal->MM Hills. Total 5 hours.
The drive
Even though it was a Saturday, we were surprised to see very less traffic all the way through out. Pardon me, I am unable to recollect the exact traffic density now. However, I can safely say the entire route was scenic and enjoyable. All the way to Gopinatham, there was no traffic. Especially once we crossed Kollegal the route was simply fantastic and scenic.
If one has driven to BR hills, they can relate. The landscape is very similar. Lot of winding roads once we enter MM hills and the ghat section is pretty well laid out for most part. I thoroughly enjoyed the ghat drive looking at the scenic forest, with all the different colours.
The ghat section road. Please excuse the quality as they are taken from phone camera.I can assure you that the colours are much more vibrant in real life.
Once you cross the MM hills temple, you enter the reserved forest. There was a check-post who asked for the usual vehicle details, where we are coming from and where we are headed. Just inform them that you are headed to Jungle lodges. They will guide you with upcoming deviations. This route is completely inside the forest and is pretty secluded. Through out the drive from here we were the only ones on the road, which me and my wife thoroughly enjoyed.
There is a deviation, where we have to take a left near a public school ( yup a public school inside the forest, as is the case in Bandipur as well). From there it's a straight route to JLR property. This route runs parallel to Cauvery river on your right, which looks simply fantastic.
Me trying hard not to distract myself from the view on my right.
Please do not stop the vehicle for photo-ops here no matter how tempting it might seem, its a reserved forest after-all and there are resident wild Leopards and Elephants.
Last few kms from the property is where the village is and it is a mud road, my Bolero was happy seeing familiar territory.
The property
What I understood from the naturalist is that this property was earlier a govt guest house for forest officials which is now converted to JLR property. I will let the pictures do the talking here.
The entrance
Our camps
View from the property, overlooking MM hills.
Gopinatham Village
Things to do
Although a fairly new camp site, the rooms are nice and hospitality is typical JLR. Very welcoming and courteous.
They are still planning to setup proper safaris here. There is no safari into the dense jungle like you find in Bandipur and Kabini. Its still WIP. What I understood is that they are planning to bring it soon if all goes well, as they are charting out safari routes.
There is evening safari which takes you into the jungle, not so interior, to the site where Veerappan had killed IFS officer P.Sreenivas. Who is revered here by the locals. May god bless his soul!
Here, we also saw a deer kill by the wild dogs( most likely previous night), as the blood was still fresh on the floor and also some spleen, intestines all over the place.Unfortunately we did not see the wild dogs though.
We came back to the property, where me and wife were the only ones in the entire property. This fairly being new I believe no one had booked it yet. Simply perfect!
At night we could see all the stars in its glory, we then ate to our hearts content and went to sleep. Next day morning we went for nature walk which goes into the forest. Do not miss it. Although we came across few locals who were fishing in the river near by, which I believe is not legal. But anyways! who am I to question, it's their village.
Next day we got to know that Hoggenakkal falls is only 9kms, then it occured to me, that means there must be a shorter route via Hosur. Which indeed was true. But then Hosur route looked boring. We took the same route back through the forest and ghat, which the Bolero loves.
Some departing shots
P.S. - This is my first travelogue at Team-BHP. Hope you like it.